1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wall stud mounted support structures. More particularly, the present invention teaches a support bracket incorporating an elongated plank support surface, the bracket including a channeled base particularly configured so as to be secured to a location of an upwardly extending 2″×4″ or 2″×6″ stud.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is well documented with examples of scaffolding support brackets, devices and hangers. The usual purpose of such bracket supports is the ability to maintain, once affixed in generally level and spaced apart fashion, an elongate extending plank.
A first example of the prior art is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,571, issued to Horen, and which teaches a scaffolding bracket for supporting a platform against the wall of a ship or the like. The bracket includes a tapered U-shaped support beam having opposed pairs of apertures in the sides near one end thereof, the support beam being adjustable relative to a wall engaging plate. The wall engaging plate includes a pair of keyhole apertures which connect to a pair of metallic studs secured to a wall of a ship such as by welding.
The plate in Horen further includes a flange, the opposed sides of which define a segment of a circle about which the support beam is adjustably pivoted. The flange also includes a series of apertures at spaced apart intervals which cooperate with the pairs of apertures nears the end of the support beam, thus allowing the support beam to be pivotably adjusted in increments of five or ten degrees around the circle segment. In order further to permit the bracket to be used on the inside wall as well as the outside wall of a ship, the flange is constructed to define a half circle about which the support beam is adjustably pivoted by a series of spaced apertures therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,974, issued to Savitski, teaches a scaffold bracket which is removably attachable to an elongated member, again such as the stud of a building under construction. The bracket includes a support structure having a support arm and first and second grippers attached to the support structure. The grippers engage the front and back surfaces of the elongated member, respectively. When the bracket is mounted to the elongated member, the support arm extends substantially horizontally. In this mounted position, a downward force on the support arm causes the first and second grippers to exert a gripping force on the elongated member.
A further collection of prior art patents, directed to scaffolding supports, include Preston 5,156,235, Whitsett 3,385,400 and Flathau et al. Each of these references includes, in addition to horizontal and vertical interconnected and extending components, a diagonally extending strut or reinforcing support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,891, issued to Powers, teaches a bracket for supporting a length of lumber adjacent a vertical member such as a stud. The bracket has a central bar to which a pair of end bars are welded. The end bars extend in both directions away from the central bar. The central bar is then placed adjacent the face of a vertical stud and the end bars are sufficiently separated so that the bracket may be rotated a small amount. The bracket is then and a length of lumber is then inserted between the upper and lower bars in a cantilevered member and held securely so that it may be worked on, such as cut to length, along the cantilevered ends. The process of using the bracket is also disclosed and a bracket having four end bars is also disclosed.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,957, issued to Ahl et al., teaches a ladder supported scaffolding assembly, and one which utilizes two spaced apart ladders placed side by side. The assembly includes a scaffold platform, a ladder attachment bracket being disposed on the opposing ends of the platform. In order to engage a step associated with each of the spaced apart ladders, an upward sloping surface associated with each bracket which releasably engages and secured hooks onto a step from underneath the step.